obama's october surprise. thanks, hilda. that's labor secretary hilda solis, who is responsible for the bureau of labor statistics which puts out the job numbers. >> i have the highest regard for our professional staff at the bureau of labor statistics, highly trained, highly skilled ph.d.s, economists, statisticians, folks that have been working in this area for many years and this is a methodology that's been used for decades and it is insulting when you hear people just cavalierly say that somehow we are manipulating numbers. i find that very insulting. >> hilda solis. for the record, here's how the process works. the raw data comes in on wednesdays, the week before each monthly report. the bureau of labor statistics gets around -- calls around 60,000 households and asks who's working. that's where the unemployment rate comes from. for job growth or job loss, the bls gathers payroll data from businesses. everyone who touches the data signs confidentiality agreements, documents are locked in safes, computers are encrypted,